Dreams of the Four
by Lorien1
Summary: Set in their seventh year. Hermione begins having some strange dreams that lead her to discover her true self. Lots of stuff for everyone, a few ships explored H/H, H/G, D/H, D/G…
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1  
  
   
  
             She stood silently in the clearing. Her long brown hair ruffled in the wind. She looked around and could see nothing but shapes of trees, dark grass and a moonlit sky. She could sense the cool night air spiraling its way around her as she felt damp dew covered grass under her bare feet. Her hands touched soft cloth causing her to look down at herself. She was startled to see the deep blue gown with silver embroidery on the sleeves and neckline with silver laces running from her waist to her throat. Wrapped around her hips was a belt like garment made of the same blue material with silver edging. It's ends met in the middle and trailed down to the hem of her gown.  
  
             She heard cloth rustling. She was startled to see a man in black robes edged with green stride confidently from the trees towards her. His silvery blond hair shone in the moonlight. His gray eyes sparkled silver as he moved steadily closer. He reached to take her hands in his. His mouth opened as of to speak when someone burst forth from the trees and moved quickly toward them. He wore similar black robes but with red edging. She could see his hair, black as night, tousled around his face. He looked into her eyes before stopping in front of her. The two men stared at each other with such hatred and disgust that...  
  
             Hermione awoke with alarm. She sat up quickly to feel her clothing. Hermione was expecting to feel soft, wool-like fabric but finding instead the soft cotton of her camisole and boxer shorts she normally slept in. She reached through the curtains surrounding her four poster bed to grab the wand, which she used to light the lamp above her pillow, from her night table. It cast a soft pool of light on her bed. She reached again through the curtains for ink, a quill and her dream journal. Ever since she had started having odd dreams in her fifth year she had decided to record them to help her find their meaning.  
  
             Hermione quickly wrote out her dream as she paused for a brief moment. Transfixed in a thought, her hand moved to the small pendent hanging from a delicate silver chain. She had found it in a Muggle antique shop while shopping with her mother the previous summer. It had been tucked away into a corner. As soon as she seen pendant, Hermione rushed to her mother for the 10 pounds to pay for it. From that day on, the pendant has never been anywhere but around her neck.  
  
             Crookshanks woke up and padded over to her. He settled himself into her lap as she bent over and cuddled him close. He purred at her attention. She looked down into his wide yellow eyes as thoughts and worries ran through her head. Then she spoke softly to him.  
  
             "What am I going to do? The dreams are getting more vivid and more troublesome every night. Before I couldn't recognize the two men but now I know they are Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. I can't continue this. I have to find a way to make them stop." She sighed in despair, "But how do you stop your dreams?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
             Hermione sat listlessly in potions the next afternoon while Snape explained the day's lesson.  
  
             "Today you will be making a truth potion. Can anyone tell me how many truth potions exist today?" He sneered at the Gryffindors, who remained silent. His eyes stopped on Seamus Finnigan. "Finnigan, how many truth potions exist?" snarled Snape.  
  
             Seamus gulped and guessed, "Three Professor..."  
  
             "No Finnigan, there are eight, all outlawed by the ministry except in very extreme circumstances. Five points from Gryffindor. Today you will make the weakest one known. It has the power to cause the person it is given to too give three truthful answers to any question asked." He pointed his wand at the board causing instructions and ingredients to fill the space with silvery writing.  
  
             While the others copied the potion quickly, Hermione drew random shapes and spirals on the parchment in front of her. Her mind was on other things. It wasn't until Ron poked her in the side that she realized what was going on and she rushed to copy the potion down.  
  
             "When your potions are finished, I will pair you up to test them out on each other. Beware, if the potion is prepared incorrectly, you will cause the person to speak nothing but lies until I can find where you messed up and fix it. Also, this potion could be poisonous if the instructions are not followed exactly." He smirked at Neville, who gulped and shrank down slightly.  
  
             Hermione settled herself at a worktable with Harry and Ron and for the next hour. The students worked quietly preparing their truth potion. During this time, Snape prowled around the room making snide remarks about the Gryffindors work and praising the Slytherins. Hermione drifted back to her dream while crushing dried Veritas leaves. It was only when Ron poked her again that she snapped out of it.  
  
             "Hermione, what's the matter with you today? That's twice you've lost all attention." He looked at her with slightly worried eyes.  
  
             "I'm ok, just a little tired, that's all." She put aside her crushed leaves to add her unicorn hair to the cauldron. She stirred it and watched the potion go from a bright yellow to a silvery blue colour. Just then Snape chose that exact moment to walk by their table.  
  
             "Blue Granger! Why is your potion blue, it's supposed to be green." The Slytherins all looked in her direction and she noticed Malfoy grinning at her supposed mistake.  
  
             "I haven't added the last ingredient yet Professor." She showed him the crushed leaves.  
  
             "Why not Granger? Even Longbottom has managed to finish his potion. You're supposed to be the best student." He smirked down at her and she quickly added the crushed leaves. The potion foamed up and then settled to a glassy green colour. Snape frowned and moved away from their tale to the front of the classroom.  
  
             "By now, your potions should be complete. Fill a glass vial with it and then clean up your workstations. When you are finished, I will put you into pairs to test your potions." Hermione followed Harry and Ron to an empty basin to clean their equipment. She rinsed her things and drifted back to her dream.  
  
             "I wonder what it means? Where did it come from? And why was I even dreaming about Harry and Draco Malfoy? They seemed to be fighting for my attention but why...?" Hermione quizzically thought.  
  
             This time it was Harry who snapped her back to reality. "Hermione, come on, Snape's pairing people up now." She looked at Harry for a few seconds before his words sunk in, "Oh...."She collected her things and followed Harry back to their table.  
  
             "Now I will pair you up.... Potter, Finnigan...Weasley, Longbottom...Granger… Malfoy...". Hermione looked up in Draco's direction in surprise as Snape finished pairing everyone else up. She took the vial over to Draco's table. "After you take your partners potion, I will ask each of you three questions. This will test to see if you actually mixed the ingredients right." He looked in Neville's direction, who sunk down behind his table a little.  
  
Malfoy smirked at Hermione, "So Granger, what's it like being wrong for once?" She was about to answer when Snape approached their table.  
  
             "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger. Let me see how well your potions work. You're first Mr. Malfoy." Draco took the small vial and handed it to Hermione, who drank it down quickly. It tasted oddly pleasant and it filled her with comforting warmth. Snape turned to her and said, "Alright Miss Granger. What is you full name?"  
  
             The question caused her mind to blank out everything except her name. "Hermione Granger..."  
  
             Snape wrote something down and continued, "Your age?"  
  
             "Seventeen..."  
  
             He again marked his parchment, "Your Hogwarts House?"  
  
             "Gryffindor..." Suddenly the warm feeling was gone and her mind was again filled with her dream.  
  
             "Very good Mr. Malfoy. Now it's your turn Miss Granger." She gave her vial to Draco, who swallowed the potion in on gulp. She watched his face go blank. Snape asked his three questions, which Draco answered. Snape frowned when he realized she had done it perfectly and walked away without saying a word.  
  
             She collected her things and left the classroom to find Ron and Harry waiting for her in the hall. They made their way silently up to the tower to drop off their books before dinner. Hermione was sitting at the edge of her bed, deep in thought, when Harry and Ron came looking for her.  
  
             "Hermione! What's wrong with you today?" Ron said with a note of frustration in his voice.  
  
             "You can tell us Hermione, we are your best friends after all." Harry said as he sat down beside her. His look of concern reminded her of the dream for some reason, even though he had been angry in it.  
  
             "It's nothing," she said as she stood up, "I'm just tired, I didn't sleep very well last night" Or any other night for that matter. Ron looked unconvinced and if Harry was, he didn't show it. Which was odd since Harry's thought and emotions usually were all over his face. "Come on, I'm hungry, let's go." She moved quickly from the dorm and down to the portrait.  
  
* * * * *  
  
             Hermione sat alone that evening in the library, a large number of books piled high in front of her. The table around her was littered with spare bits of parchment, a broken quill tip, an empty inkbottle, a half- full inkbottle, and various other bits and pieces of litter from her bag. Also, at her side was a small blue book.  
  
             She shoved another large tome away from herself and stretched. She had been sitting in the same spot for almost four hours now and was getting a little tired. Mme Pince would be closing the library soon and Hermione was the only student remaining. She rose from the chair, glaring at the useless pile of books she had already collected on dreams and went to the shelves for another. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
   
  
             She dug through the dirt carefully to find what she needed. Each item, when found, would disappear into the leather bag at her side. She gathered her final item and stood up, brushing bits of leaves and forest debris from her brown and green robes. She settled her green cloak around her shoulders and checked that her leather bag was closed and fastened securely. She turned around to leave but was startled to find someone watching her with green eyes as if questioning her existence.  
  
             "Oh, good morning..." she pulled her cloak tighter around herself, hiding the messy state of her robes.  
  
             He looked ever more surprised at her greeting and ran his fingers, nervously through his black hair before answering. "I didn't expect anyone to be here. A lady like your self should not be here alone."  
  
             That statement made her impatient and a little angry. She calmed herself down slightly before answering. "I may go where I please. I have no need of any protection." With that, she moved to walk away but he stepped and blocked her route. The wind gusted just then, causing his cloak to move away from his body, revealing black robes edged in red and a large sword by his side. "Now if you will let me pass, I may return to my home." As she moved to go around him, he blocked her way again. "I am getting very impatient with you sir. If I do not get home now, my morning will have been wasted."  
  
             He looked at her suspiciously, "Why would your morning have been wasted. All you have is a few simple plants and leaves, nothing important about them." He reached forward and grabbed the leather bag from her hands.  
  
             "No! You mustn't harm those plants!" She rushed at him to grab the sack away as he rustled through it.  
  
             "Madam, do you have any idea what those plants are?" He looked at her very suspiciously now.  
  
             She became suddenly afraid at this statement, and wondered if he suspected what she really was. She reclaimed the bag and reached for the wand secreted inside. He stepped forward, as if to grab her and she whipped out her wand and was about to cast her spell when he laughed at her. It startled her so badly that she froze and looked at him with fury in her eyes. "What, sir is so funny?"  
  
             "I'm sorry, my lady, but I couldn't be sure if you were what I suspected you were. You see lady, I know now you are a witch and will have no need to wipe your memory of seeing me this morning." He explained when she looked at him with a shocked expression. "I am being hunted in the Muggle world as we speak on crimes of witchcraft. While I know I can escape the death sentence with my magic, I have no desire to be caught in the first place since they are now hanging, beheading, and dismembering supposed witches as well as burning them at the stake. And I have no desire for that to happen to me. Most Muggles in this area know my face and finding one here in the woods would mean I would have had to wipe a few memories, which is getting tiresome."  
  
             She looked at him with a shocked expression. "I should have realized you have magic, I can see it all over you now. Why I didn't see it before, I do not know. Will you let me pass now, I really must prepare these potion ingredients or they will be useless." She moved to return to her home at the edge of the woods and he followed her.  
  
             "I could not, in good conscience, allow a lady to walk through these woods alone." He moved to her side as she continued on the path to home.  
  
             "I wander these woods alone every day sir, I have no need of an escort." She looked at him and saw by his expression that he would not leave her, "Alright, I accept your escort for today. But be assured, I have no real need for one." They reached her cottage and she turned to say goodbye but he had already disappeared back into the woods. She turned to enter her cottage...  
  
             Something landed hard on Hermione's chest and she woke up to find Crookshanks face right in front of hers. "Get off me." She shoved the cat off her chest and sat up. She could hear the gentle breathing of the four other girls around her as she crawled out of her bed. She wrapped a cloak around her pajama-clad body and made her way down to the common room and out the portrait. She needed to do some serious thinking and knew exactly where to go to avoid Filch.  
  
             She ran through the castle corridors and out the main doors. She sprinted across the grass until she reached a large tree near the lakeshore. She sat down in the soft grass at the base of the tree and wrapped her cloak tighter around her and pulled her knees to her chest. The dream played over and over inside her head. The man who was Harry, herself searching for potion ingredients in the soft mulch of the forest floor, the soft warmth of the wind, the cool damp of the earth and Harry's voice, repeating in a gentle tenor.  
  
             Then she heard what sounded like cloth rustling and looked up to see Harry standing there, his invisibility cloak hanging back from his shoulders. Her looked at her with concerned eyes before sitting down next to her on the grass.  
  
             "How did you know I was out here?" Hermione asked before looking at Harry's face.  
  
             "I was in the common room wrapped in this when you ran out. You looked troubled, so I followed you." He set the cloak on the grass before continuing. "What's wrong Hermione? And I don't want to hear about you being just tired because that's just simple dragon shit." His eyes searched hers as he waited for an answer.  
  
             Hermione looked shocked, Harry rarely swore and she paused before answering, "Its nothing serious Harry, I just..."  
  
             "Hermione, the truth please."  
  
             Hermione sighed and began her story; "The dreams began in fifth year just after school started in September. At first they were hazy and clouded, just me standing in a gray fog with noises all around me. Then shapes started appearing, vague at first but they got sharper throughout the year. By the end of fifth year, I could make out two human shapes and scenery in the haze of the dream. But always with the underlying murmurs of voices filling the air around me. It remained this way through most of last year as well, human shapes, indistinct voices and slightly hazy scenery. But this year everything has started to get very clear. I know who the two people are, the scenery is very clear and distinct, I can identify the smells in the air now, understand the voices of the two people, and its scaring me now how detailed and familiar these dreams seem sometimes." She looked at him with fear filled eyes and he placed his arm around her shoulders and cuddled her close. She felt safe and comforted by this and placed her head on his shoulder. He then whispered words meant to relax and comfort her in her ear and before long, her eyes closed and she slept.  
  
             Hermione woke up to find the sun in her eyes and the softness of her quilt under her. Was it all just a dream? She sat up and realized she still wore her cloak, slightly damp from the grass. I guess it wasn't a dream, that means I told Harry all about them. She toyed with the pendent around her neck before changing from her cloak and pajamas into jeans and a jumper before going down into the common room. There she found Harry losing miserably at chess to Ron. Both looked up as she entered and walked over to watch the game just as Ron's knight took Harry's queen. The tiny woman screamed as she was thrown face first across the saddle and then dragged off the board. The knight returned to the now vacant square, and the queen stood next to the rest of Harry's unconscious pieces and screamed at both Harry and the knight. Hermione was surprised, usually chess pieces became inanimate off the chessboard and she pointed this out to Ron and Harry.  
  
             "Their Harry's chess pieces." Ron simply said after his bishop knocked a pawn off the board.  
  
             "They have never done that before." Harry responded as his rook took one of Ron's bishops.  
  
             "Oh..." Hermione fidgeted with her pendent before turning to leave the common room. Since it was Saturday, they had no classes and Hermione didn't feel like doing homework just yet. She wandered the halls aimlessly letting her dreams occupy her mind so that she didn't notice Draco until she ran right into him.  
  
             "Watch it..." he turned and saw who it was, "What are you doing here Granger?" He sneered, "Why aren't you off with Potty and Weasel or better yet, playing teachers pet."  
  
             "Oh what.... Sorry Draco." She said distractedly before continuing down the hall. Draco watched her walk away with a shocked expression; it was the first time Hermione had never had some smart remark for him. Curiosity got the better of him and he decided to follow her.  
  
             Hermione led him unknowingly around the castle and then outside to the lake. He watched her sit down under a large tree and was about to move closer when he heard something behind him.  
  
             "What are you doing Malfoy?" Draco turned and saw Harry leaning, with his arms crossed casually against the castle wall.  
  
             "What's it to you Potter?" Draco sneered and Harry pushed himself from the wall and walked over to where Draco stood.  
  
             "Why are you following Hermione?" A warning tone flickered in Harry's voice. Draco smirked at him before answering.  
  
             "What makes you think I was following her. Last time I checked it was still a free country Potter." Draco crossed his arms and faced Harry with determination. Their hatred for each other filled the air around them.  
  
             "Leave her alone Malfoy. She has enough problems without you involved." Harry then walked around Draco towards Hermione. What Harry had said interested Draco.  
  
             So, the little Mudblood has problems does she? Draco made his way back to the castle after one last look in Harry and Hermione's direction. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
   
  
             She watched in dazed wonderment as the scene slowly focused around her. She felt odd, detached as two figures emerged from the fog. They faced each other determinedly, faces emotionless as they drew their swords. From far away, they appeared identical, like two brothers as they stood, ready. Suddenly, they both moved and their swords crashed.  
  
             She cried out to them and rushed forward, only to find herself pass through the crossed swords like a ghost. Tears spilled down her cheeks as the two men fought almost as if fighting mirror images of them selves. Then everything changed.  
  
They lunged simultaneously, each hoping to deliver the fatal blow to his enemy and she watched in horror as the swords sank into flesh. As the two blows were delivered, she heard a cry of terror and disbelief echo from the trees. She watched in amazement as a woman burst from the trees, robes and cloak torn, wavy brown hair, a tangled riot trailing behind her and bare feet flashing as she raced toward the fallen men.  
  
She watched herself collapse to her knees between the two men; cries of anguish tearing through the air. Her double crawled to the nearest one and pushed silvery blond hair back from his face. Silver eyes, dulled by pain, looked at her and he whispered a single word that she couldn't hear, but her double could. Tears flooded the woman's eyes as she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. His body shuddered as his last breath escaped from his lungs and he went limp.  
  
Her double laid him gently on the ground and made her way to the other. She took his hands into her own and spoke gentle words. Emerald green eyes opened and searched her face before he smiled weakly. She gently pushed night black hair from his face and he spoke to her. This time she could hear the words,  
  
"I'm...sorry...my...lady..." His eyes closed and his body went limp with death. Tears again filled her doubles eyes and she buried her face into his hair, kissing his forehead softly.  
  
Her double laid his head gently on the ground and stood up determinedly, her eyes dry of tears. She moved herself to the center between the two men and reached inside her torn robes and pulled out a pendent on a delicate silver chain. Her own hand shot to the identical silver pendent that hung now between her breasts.  
  
Her double closed her eyes and placed her hands at either side of the pendent, as if holding a ball in front of it. Air began to stir around her, causing her cloak to flap and her hair to fly. Then a silvery light began to form between the two-cupped hands. Her double began to rise slowly into the air, the light growing brighter with each passing second. She raised the light above her head, cried out ancient words and the area became silver with the light. Suddenly it filled everything, blocking all from sight. And as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone.  
  
She moved forward, toward the center nervously. She looked, expecting to see the bodies of the two men, blood and her double, but they were gone. It was then she saw the saplings, thin and young but covered with leaves. The one closest to her had a silvery blond bark and delicate silver leaves covering its many branches. The other one was covered with a night black bark at its branches were filled with broad emerald green leaves. Between the two, hovered a silver orb or light, which burst into thousands of tiny pale violet birds. The flock split in half with one half going to each tree. Where each bird landed, a pale violet bloom burst forth mixing with the silver and green foliage.  
  
Where the orb had been was now a small plant. It had emerald green leaves, frosted with silver and had a single pale violet bloom. She knelt in front of it and took in its sweet scent as tears spilled from her eyes and down her cheeks. Then slowly, everything around her faded to nothingness.  
  
             "Hermione, wake up..." someone was shaking her, "Wake up!" She opened her eyes to find Harry's face in front of her own. "Hermi.... Oh, your awake now."  
  
             "Why did you wake me up." She was kind of grumpy, she had a cramp in her neck and her legs were asleep. She moved to stretch a felt her book fall from her lap to the floor.  
  
             "You were crying in your sleep. Was it another dream?" Harry sat down on the sofa next to her and handed her the book, which had fallen to the floor. She looked at him and nodded. "It must have been pretty awful if you were crying, you wanna tell me about it?"  
  
             "Not right now, ok Harry, later." She looked around the common room and noticed how empty it was. The only light came from the fireplace and it was oddly soothing. "What time is it, where is everyone?"  
  
             "It's two in the morning, and everyone has gone to bed. I didn't even know you were still down here until I came to use the bathroom and saw you." It was then that she noticed all Harry wore was a pair of green drawstring pajama pants. It was also then that she noticed how attractive Harry really was. The way the firelight shown on his hair and caused his eyes to sparkle magically, how it caused the shadows to outline how toned he was from Quidditch and how his skin looked so soft and warm right there. Lavender, Parvati and the other two girls she roomed with were always gossiping about the boys of Hogwarts. And Harry was generally near the top of the lists alongside both Ron and Draco Malfoy. But always for different reasons they said, Ron wasn't handsome, he had more of an appealing charm, Harry was the tortured hero that almost everyone loved and Draco had a dangerous air about him that made almost every girl want to swoon. With Draco, it was the idea of the forbidden that everyone enjoyed.  
  
"Umm.... Harry...About my dream, I know I said I would tell you later, but would you be willing to listen now?" Hermione asked timidly. Whether it was because of the dream or something else, Harry didn't know.  
  
"Of course Hermione, I'm always here for you, whenever you need me." Harry told her and Hermione looked relieved.  
  
"It was odd, not like the others. This time I wasn't in the scene, but observing it. It felt like when you're inside a Pensieve." Hermione knew about Pensieve because Harry and Ron had given her one from Christmas last year to help her cope with all her exams. "The scene was hazy but slowly came into focus. There were two men and they were fighting."  
  
"The same two as before?" Harry asked when she paused, "Do you recognize them?" Hermione chewed at her bottom lip before deciding not to reveal that to Harry just yet.  
  
"No I don't." She shook her head and continued. "Just as they killed each other, I came rushing in. Then my double used some form of magic and a silver energy filled the scene. Then when it cleared, the two men had been replaced by trees and my double was gone."  
  
Tears filled her eyes again, which was odd since Hermione rarely ever cried unless you count all the times she did when frustrated with everything in third year because of her time turner. Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close while she sobbed. When she finally stopped, she looked up at him with some embarrassment.  
  
"I'm sorry I got you all wet Harry. You're a true friend to listen to all my problems like this." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled up at him.  
  
Just then, he kissed her softly on her startled mouth. She sat frozen in wide-eyed surprise for a second before closing her eyes and slowly responding to the kiss. His lips were warm and soft as they moved gently on hers. Then as suddenly as the kiss began, it ended. Harry pulled back and again Hermione was surprised.  
  
"I'm sorry Hermione, I shouldn't have done that." He then rose from the sofa and quickly exited the common room. She watched him leave with a stunned expression on her face. She licked her lips and could still taste him there and she touched them softly with the tips of her fingers.  
  
What just happened here? First he was listening to me and then he was kissing me?! Why? She collected her book and slowly made her way back to her dorm still pondering what had just happened.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione sat alone in the library the next day, her history of magic essay forgotten in front of her as her mind was filled with other things. She played with the pendent at her throat as she thought back to last night and Harry's kiss. She was so immersed in her thought; she didn't notice someone approaching her until they spoke.  
  
"What are you doing all by yourself Granger? Did Potty and Weasel finally decide not to hang around with Mudblood scum like you?" Draco jeered as he settled himself in the chair across from her.  
  
"Go Away Malfoy, I don't feel like trading insults with you today." Hermione told him icily and pretended to return to her essay.  
  
             "I'm hurt Granger." Draco said sarcastically while clutching his heart. "I would think someone as smart as you could think up a better insult then that." He settled himself more comfortably in the chair and waited for her response.  
  
             She looked up at him and had to restrain herself from slapping him across the face. "And I would think even you could tell the difference between an insult and a brush off. Now get lost Draco, I have work to do.  
  
             "Why would I leave, I'm having such fun right here." He smirked at and continued staring at her from across the table.  
  
             "Fine! If you won't leave, then I will!" With that, she collected her things and stormed out of the library. When she heard him follow her, she groaned. "Can't you take a hint Draco, Go AWAY!" She whirled around and stormed away while he watched with amusement from the library entrance.  
  
             When she turned the corner, he held up a book. "Oh Granger, you forgot this." Knowing full well she couldn't hear him. He grinned, turned and started walking the other way, the small blue book in his hands.  
  
* * * * *  
  
             Draco sat cross-legged on his bed, examining the book in his hands. It had a dark blue cloth cover and some runic symbols stamped along the spine. He opened the cover and on the first page, in neat blue script, was:  
  
Hermione Granger  
  
Dreams  
  
1995-______  
  
He tried to open to the next page but found all the pages stuck together into one solid block of paper. He tried a dozen different spells and only succeeded in revealing a small keyhole in the center of the cover. Hermione had thought ahead when she had started recording her dreams and had sealed the book with a spell that only she could use, for it was voice specific. And just in case, she also placed a hidden lock that would activate the moment the book left her possession, a key had to be wrapped in her own hair before in would open the lock. Draco knew none of this so he continued in vain attempts to open the book.  
  
He conjured up a skeleton key, designed to open any lock in the world. He placed the key in the lock and was about to turn it when the lock rejected it and the key melted to nothing. Draco slammed to book shut and frowned at it, adding a few curse words as well. He quickly shoved it into his nightstand when he heard someone coming towards the room.  
  
Pansy stuck her head around the doorway, smiled and then entered the room. "Draco, Snape wants to see you in his office right now." Pansy gave him what she hoped was a sexy look but Draco thought it made her look like a constipated manticore.  
  
Draco groaned inwardly, Snape was recently always asking Draco to come to his office. Draco checked that the drawer was secure and moved past Pansy and out the door towards Snape's office.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione opened her bag and began to put everything away carefully. Draco had completely ruined her train of thought in the library, so she had returned to the Gryffindor tower after storming away from him. It was then she noticed the book was missing.  
  
"Where is it?!" She tore apart her bag frantically as she searched. Then she realized; "Draco..." She was filled with fury and then despair quickly followed. She sat hard on the bed, a million thoughts running through her mind. What if he reads it...Wait, I put a spell on it to prevent that...What if he breaks the spell.... 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
She walked quickly down the road, completely intent on her destination. She knew she had to hurry or all would be for naught. She could feel the air growing cooler and she pulled her cloak tighter around herself after checking that her bag was secure at her waist.  
  
She looked up and stopped on the road as a sound hit her ears from the distance, it sounded like horse's hooves. She moved to the side of the road as the sounds grew closer. She could see dust rising in the distance and hear the sounds of men calling to one another from house back as they rode forward. She watched as they rode over the hill, progressing ever closer to her position, she had no way of knowing whether they were noble men who wouldn't hurt her or bandits, who would attack her.  
  
As they drew almost abreast with her, she reached her hand into her bag, prepared to defend herself if the need should arise. The first one spotted her standing at the side of the road and pulled his horse to a stop, the other five men followed after him. They called down to her and made a few disgusting comments about her and then surrounded her. They rode their horses in a circle and spoke to each other, each boasting about who was deserving of her more.  
  
"Yur a pretty little thing, aren't ya." The closest one peered down at her. She simply pulled her cloak tighter around herself, hiding her body and bag from view. They laughed at her attempts to hide herself and one man reached out to grab her when...  
  
"Leave her be!" A seventh man rode over the hill, the sun shining off silver blond hair. She looked up at her saviour and was shocked and disappointed to see he wore the same colours as the men surrounding her. The six men grumbled a bit and backed off. The nearest one leered at her before turning his horse. Then the seventh man rode over and dismounted. He motioned the other six to leave and then turned to face her. It was then she whipped out her wand and prepared to protect herself. He simply laughed at her; "You expect to hold be off with a useless piece of wood?!"  
  
Her hand was shaking and she was thoroughly frightened now. "Stay away, or I will attack you." Her voice was steady but her knees were weak.  
  
He grinned at her before replying; "I have no intention of hurting you, I just wanted to see that my men had not hurt you in anyway. Besides, do you really expect to hold a man of my size off with a simply twig." She shook with anger now, that simple twig was a very powerful wand. "Where are you going fair lady, you seem to be going in my direction, may I offer you a ride?"  
  
"No thank you sir, I am fine on my own. You may continue on your way with your men." With that she turned and marched determinedly away. He cursed under his breath and mounted his horse to catch up to her. When he reached her, he reached down and swung her up in front of him. She froze in shock and then turned and tried to hit him but he held her arms at her sides as he prodded the horse forward into a canter.  
  
"I could not let an unaccompanied lady travel this road alone. I will take you to the village where you will be safe." She just turned and glared at him, she was concentrating to hard on making sure the bottles and vials in her bag remained intact. In no time, they reached the village and she slide from the horses back and set off to the edge of the village as if leaving for the country road again. He swore once more and followed her but stopped when he saw her stop outside a hut near the edge of the village. She called something out and he watched as a small woman with fire red hair ran from the hut, clutching a piece of wood in her hands. The two women spoke and she quickly moved into the hut.  
  
His men came galloping up behind him and he sent them away with a wave of his hand before dismounting. Taking the reins, he led his horse slowly toward the hut, trying to determine what was happening when the smaller red head ran out the door and towards him. She stopped short when she saw him; she was panting and was obviously in a hurry.  
  
"Where are you running off to in such a hurry maid?" She ignored him and dashed away toward the center of the village. He dropped his horse's reins and moved quickly toward the door and peered in. There he saw her kneeled next to a pallet on the floor dribbling a green fluid into a young boy's mouth. She looked up in surprise as he entered.  
  
"What are you doing in here?" She asked with an impatient, irritated voice before returning to her task.  
  
"Finding out why an unknown woman is here in my village and what she is giving my serfs." He looked down in disgust at the filth that covered the floor and wrinkled his nose at the smell.  
  
"Your village, your serfs!" She called out with surprise, "Its nice to know how well you treat those who keep you feed and clothed lord." She put her emphases on the last word.  
  
He was silent at her last words and looked at her with an offended look on his face. He stormed over to her and pulled her to her feet causing the vial she held to drop and shatter at her feet. Without thinking, she grabbed her wand and pointed, causing the vial to reappear in her hand, unbroken and filled with the spilled medicine. He didn't react, but looked at her with a puzzling expression.  
  
"My lady, I found what you nee..." The small red head burst into the hut with a pot of something. She gasped when she saw the raised wand and....  
  
"Hermione, your gonna be late for class!" A voice told her in her ear as someone shook her violently. She opened her eyes to find the face of Lavender Brown right in front of hers. "Hermione, move! Lets go!" Lavender dashed out of the room and Hermione scrambled out of bed. Lavender had left a piece of toast for her on the nightstand and she shoved it in her mouth as she pulled her robes on. She was thankful she had put everything into her bag last night and ran from the room, still chewing her toast. She reached Defense against the Dark arts just after the bell rang.  
  
"Nice to see you this morning Hermione." Remus Lupin said with a smile. He had returned to teach once more to help defend the school since it was rumoured Voldemort was amassing an army and that his target was the school. "I was just saying that we will be studying the origin of curses, dark potions and how each were constructed. Please open your books to page 724 and we will begin our discussion with information you all possess on this topic."  
  
Hermione began to think back to her dream and the class discussion fell into the background. Why was Ginny Weasley in my dream now? It was the first time someone other than herself and Harry and Draco had appeared in her dreams. She began to jot down on her parchment, all the different people, smells, scenes, and situations from her dream. She stilled her quill and pondered while fiddling with the pendent around her neck. Now there are four distinct people in my dreams. I wonder if she was a one time only thing, or will she appear again?  
  
She closed her eyes and drifted back to the dream, the sounds filled her mind and the scene took focus. "Ginny" had just run in as she had used magic to fix the vial of potion. "Draco" didn't appear shocked or surprised but intrigued. She tried to make the dream progress after the point she had woken up and slowly it began to. She watched as if in a pensieve as the scene started up again in her mind.  
  
She turned in shock at the sound of the young girl's voice. She lowered her wand and looked at him with fear in her eyes. He watched her with interest for a moment before speaking.  
  
"I never dreamed that one of my kind lived and existed right on my lands and so near my home. I also would never have dreamed that he or she was keeping my peasants alive through all the disease that seems to invade this land." She looked at him with a shocked expression before remembering the vial in her hand and turning back to the child asleep on the pallet...  
  
"Ms. Granger, Hermione?" She snapped out of the daydream to find Professor Lupin looking at her with an amused expression. "I'm glad you could join us Hermione. Now as I was saying, I have been given the headmasters permission to start a special Defense against the Dark arts class for my most advanced students. It would be made up of students I choose from all four houses and would only have up to 12 people in it. I will discuss my choices with the headmaster and you will be notified if you have been given the opportunity to join. You may refuse if you wish, of course."  
  
Then the bell rang and the students scrambled to collect their things and rush to their next classes. Hermione sorted her books slowly and placed them in her bag. Ron waited next to the desk for her but Harry had bolted out the door immediately after the bell. He watched her with a worried and puzzled expression and a couple of times tried to say something to her but stopped.  
  
"Hermione, may I have a word with you before you leave?" Lupin said as he arranged the books on his desk.  
  
"Ok professor," Ron gave her one last look and left the classroom while she made her way to the desk. "What did you want to see me about?"  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about the essay you wrote for my class last week. It clearly is nowhere near your normal standard of work. Is anything wrong Hermione?" He searched her eyes from across the desk and waited for her reply.  
  
"Hermione worried her pendent as she tried to think up an answer. When she didn't reply, he sighed and she looked down at her lap ashamed.  
  
"That's a beautiful pendent you have their Hermione, may I see it." She looked up in surprise.  
  
"But, professor, it's silver!" She exclaimed and he nodded his acknowledgement. She handed it over reluctantly, unsure of what would happen and she watched as he pulled a dragon hide glove on before taking it. He examined it for a minute before returning it to her.  
  
"There are ways, as you can see, for me to handle silver Hermione. It's a very nice pendent, how long have you had it?"  
  
"Not long professor.... I really should be getting to class." He looked at her suspiciously but let her go.  
  
"Hermione, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm always here for you ok." She nodded and ran out of the room. He sighed and sat back down as his other students trickled in and said quietly to himself, "I hope you know what you are involved in Hermione."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Harry sat silently brooding in an armchair by the fire that night in the Gryffindor common room. Ron was at a nearby table discussing quidditch strategy with Seamus and Ginny, both who played for the team. Ron had been made both keeper and captain in the last year and was very determined that Gryffindor would win again this year. Finally he got frustrated at Harry's grunt from the chair at his every suggestion and stalked over to the chair to tell Harry off.  
  
"Harry, common on, your supposed to be helping me tonight. Now stop your stupid sulking over what ever is bothering you and get over here." Harry just snarled a response and Ron swore at him, calling him a few unpleasant names before returning to the table.  
  
Why did I kiss her, now she's avoiding me. I'm such a stupid...Harry's thought were interrupted by a quiet voice.  
  
"Uh, Harry, could I talk to you for a moment?" A quiet voice asked. He looked up and saw Hermione watching him with anxious eyes.  
  
"I guess..." Hermione walked away and he got up and followed her to her dorm, which was blissfully empty at the moment. "What did you wan to talk about? If it's about the other night, I'm sorry, I had no right to do that."  
  
"No Harry, its not about the other night, its about my dreams. I had another one last night and it was odd." She stopped to collect herself, "Harry, I know who the people in my dream are. I have known since the beginning of the year. I just didn't want to tell you."  
  
"Well, who are they then?" Harry asked, slightly impatiently.  
  
"They are Draco Malfoy, you and just recently, Ginny Weasley. I don't know why I'm dreaming these dreams, or why these people are included. I wish I knew though." Hermione looked at Harry who seemed to be stunned to silence.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me Hermione? Did you not trust me or something?" He appeared hurt by her lack of forthcomingness.  
  
"I was afraid of how you would react. I don't really know why I chose not to tell you." She looked down ashamed at the quilt on her bed. His face softened and he hugged her close.  
  
"You don't need to be afraid Hermione, you can always tell me anything, you know that." He cuddled her close and again, for some reason she felt safe in his arms. "I want to apologize about the other night Hermione." When she would have protested, he silenced her with a motion of his hand. "I had no right to do what I did and I'm sorry."  
  
"It's ok Harry, I didn't mind, it just startled me that's all. But I'm not saying I would like you to do it again anytime soon ok." She smiled up at his face and he almost kissed her again but he restrained himself and just hugged her close.  
  
"Ok Hermione, no more secretes if something is bothering you. Don't bottle it up anymore." He let her go and left the room. She watched him go with an apprehensive expression on her face. Then she turned and lay down pondering what he had said to her and before long she was asleep. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
She ran frantically through the fog, the murmurs of voices filling the air around her. Her hair flowed in a tangled mess behind her as she ran, trees slowly appearing around her. She could feel her bare feet hitting the forest floor and could hear the branches tearing at her cloak.  
  
The voices grew louder as she ran further into the trees, becoming more and more lost. Finally she burst into a small clearing which contained a single black sapling with emerald green leaves. She stopped, gasping for air and walked slowly closer to the tree. The scene suddenly shimmered and in the place of the sapling stood Harry. His robes were torn and soaked with blood. A sword hung limply from his right hand, covered from hilt to tip with blood. Green eyes dulled by pain looked down at her and suddenly filled with hate.  
  
"You killed me my lady, how could you. I trusted you!" He hissed venomously at her.  
  
"No....no I didn't mean to, it wasn't supposed to happen..." She stammered out but he silenced her with the look in his eyes. Tears ran down her cheeks and she turned and ran as the scene turned to fog again.  
  
Running blindly, she dashed the tears from her eyes and again the voices filled the air as she ran. The fog slowly began to clear again and she found herself running through a marsh. The water and mud sucked at her feet and the reeds and grasses tore at her clothing but she ignored it all. The voices grew louder as she came up to a silvery yellow sapling with silver leaves.  
  
She stopped, gasping for air once more and then moved slowly to the tree. Tears fell from her eyes as she collapsed in front of it and she cried freely at its roots. Then the scene shimmered and Draco Malfoy stood above her. His robes were bloody and torn and the sword he carried in his right hand was soaked in blood. He looked down at her with pity, which soon turned to contempt.  
  
"You killed me! You lied and turned my once friend into my enemy." He looked at her with expressionless eyes as these words spilled from his mouth.  
  
"I didn't mean it, please you must believe me!" She cried out and grabbed the bottom of his robes. He jerked them out of her hands and the scene faded to fog. She stood up slowly, tears falling down her cheeks, staining the cloth of her robes. The voices again filled the air and she ran away from them, tormented.  
  
She could hear a girls high-pitched screams and the laughter of many others. She ran, hoping to leave the voices behind but they followed her, growing ever louder. Finally she collapsed to the ground and covered her ears trying to block them out. The fog cleared and a scene unfolded around her.  
  
A large mob stood in the middle of a clearing, surrounding something tall. A girls pleading screams filled the air causing the mob to laugh and jeer. They parted and she saw Ginny tied to a large stake above a pile of wood and straw. She tried to rush forward but was held back by two pairs of arms. She looked back and saw the faces of Harry and Draco beside her own.  
  
"You caused this." They both whispered in her ears. "This is all your fault"  
  
"No, let me save her! I can save her!" She struggled against their hold as she watched a man step forward with a torch to light the logs and straw underneath Ginny's struggling form. Her screams filled the air as the fire caught hold of her robes she struggled against the bonds holding her to the stake.  
  
As the fire covered Ginny's still form, she collapsed in tears against the two men at her sides. They let her drop and faded into the background, leaving her to cry on the ground at the base of the smoldering stake. Then everything disappeared and was replaced by a beautiful green meadow where two Dragons, A Unicorn, and a Phoenix stood.  
  
Hermione woke suddenly and sat up. She frantically felt her clothes, the bed and the wall behind her. When she realized where she was, she breathed a sigh of relief. It had just been a dream, not real. It troubled her how realistic it had been this time. She crawled out of her bed and went to the window. It was still dark, only about midnight and she sat on the window ledge as she looked out over the grounds.  
  
After about ten minutes, she decided she was hungry and pulled a cloak on her shoulders and wandered from the dorm and down to the common room. She walked out through the portrait, where a sleeping Fat Lady didn't even make a sound. She walked slowly through the halls and made her way to the kitchen entrance. There, she tickled the pear and pulled the door open. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen to find three elves playing cards at a small table to the side.  
  
The first one that saw her yelped and jumped up knocking over the table. The other two protested and then saw her and rushed to stand.  
  
"Is their anything you be needing miss?" The first one asked anxiously while the other two prepared to run and get what ever she wanted.  
  
"I would like some tea and maybe some biscuits please." Hermione stated and the food and drink was rushed to her in minutes as if it had all been there for her already. She thanked them and turned to leave when one of the three elves spoke up.  
  
"Pardon me miss, I is not meaning to speak out of place but what is that magic I feel? Is you...." He stopped and looked at her with fear when the others motioned him to be silent.  
  
"Am I what?" She asked slightly impatiently.  
  
"It is nothing, I is feeling things. Nothing for you to worry about." The three elves bolted away to a small door in the wall next to the stoves and disappeared.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione sat in front of the common room fire, sipping her tea. She had a parchment in front of her, covered with tiny writing, recording her dream. She sorely missed her dream journal at this moment and was silently cursing Draco with every thought.  
  
She read over what she had written and then rolled the parchment up, sealing it with a wax seal. She set it to the side and curled up on the sofa to think. The fire made the room warm and pleasant and she felt herself getting drowsy from it. Slowly she stood up, collecting her things. She left the teacup on a side table and went back to bed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione walked outside with the other Gryffindors to Hagrids hut for Magical Creatures. It was one of the few classes she still enjoyed since her dreams were causing her problems everywhere else. With the new monsters Hagrid introduced every week, she was always so occupied with every class, she never even had time to think of anything else.  
  
She arrived outside the cabin with the other Gryffindors and the Sltytherins to find a woman standing there. At her side was 10 small crates, each one wiggling at random intervals. She motioned for the students to settle down and be quiet before speaking.  
  
"Your regular Care of Magical Creatures professor is away on school business so I will be teaching you for today." Near the back, Hermione could hear Draco and his cronies making snide comments about this arrangement and the supposed business of Hagrids.  
  
The woman picked up the nearest crate and held it up for everyone to see. "I have here your assignment for the day." She opened the crate and out jumped, to her shoulder, a creature that looked like a monkey crossed between a frog. "Can anyone tell me what this creature is?" She looked at all of them. "Anyone? All right, obviously you are severely lacking in your education. It is a Clabbert, a North American magical creature. It's an arboreal living creature and it has a large pustule on its forehead, which flashes red upon approaching danger. You assignment for today is to feed and walk them." She called each person forward, by name, and handed him or her a crate.  
  
The students spent the next hour playing around with the friendly animals and when it was finished, they reluctantly turned in their Clabberts to the substitute professor. She made sure each one was rested in its crate before she let the students go for lunch.  
  
The students slowly walked away and Hermione used her wand to cause Draco to freeze on the spot behind all his Slytherin friends. She walked up to him and said; "I know you took it Draco, so just give it back." She then unfroze him and he appeared startled at seeing her there.  
  
"Give what back Granger." He sneered and tried to walk around her but she stepped and blocked his way. "Get out of my way mudblood!" He snarled at her just as Harry and Ron caught up with her.  
  
Ron grabbed Draco by the collar and lifted him up off the ground. "What did you just call her Malfoy?" He growled at him and dropped him to the ground as Hermione turned to walk away, Harry close behind her, leaving the two boys by themselves. "You're lucky this time Malfoy." Ron turned to follow the others.  
  
"On day, Weasley, your gonna get it and I'm gonna be watching it happen." He brushed his robes off and made his way to the castle. "And Granger, I'm gonna open that little book of yours and then everyone will know your secretes."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Hermione sat beside Harry and the table in the Great Hall, that mornings dream running through her head. It had been the worst of them all and she wondered if they were going to just keep getting worse. Harry poked her and she snapped to attention.  
  
"Soup Hermione?" He held the soup tureen in front of her and waited for her answer. She took it smiling and ladled hot soup into her bowl. She ate slowly and thought over everything that had been happening so far. She took a sip of soup and grimaced, a headache was starting at her temples. She searched her bag for the bottle of headache pills she had and took two, sipping her pumpkin juice to help swallow them.  
  
"Are you ok Hermione?" Ron asked around his sandwich, he had noticed the pills. "You don't look so good."  
  
"I'm fine, just a little headache, that's all." She smiled weakly at him and pulled her potions book from her bag and stuck her nose in it, hoping Ron would stop. But instead of reading the many potions inside, she pondered over her last dream and what it might mean.  
  
Her headache started growing worse as lunch progressed and her head was throbbing when she rose to go to charms. Suddenly the entire great hall started spinning and she felt herself falling. Then everything went black. 


End file.
